Worms + Reinforcements

Optional: IPX-compatible network card with driver software, or a 9600-baud modem.

Worms United - both the original Worms and Reinforcements in one tidy package - is available DRM-free from GOG, and runs on modern Windows. You'll need United (or both Worms and Reinforcements) for any of the levels on this site to work.

Second-hand original discs also turn up on the usual auction sites for a couple of quid.

The original Worms did not support custom landscapes or sample sets. Reinforcements added those features, plus a single-player challenge game, IPX network and modem support - although you needed the original game to use them.

As Worms grew more popular, people didn't want to buy both packages. Worms United was born: the original game plus the upgrade, with extra levels and sounds included.

Yes. Do not run the installer on the Reinforcements CD. Instead copy all the files and folders (except the FMV folder) into your original Worms directory, keeping the directory structure. You'll no longer need to look up codes, and you'll get the full-motion video. You'll need the CD in the drive to run the game.

The old DOS Worms won't run natively on modern Windows. The reliable way to play it today is DOSBox:

1. Install DOSBox.
2. Copy the entire Worms United CD to a folder on your hard drive (e.g. C:\wormscd).
3. Run DOSBox and mount the folder:

Press Ctrl+F12 a few times until the CPU cycles are high enough (10,000+), then type worms to play. The simplest option of all, though, is the ready-to-run GOG release.

Thanks to Bensan from the old forum for these tips.

You'll need Reinforcements or Worms United. Place the PCX, INF, BK1 and/or BK2 files into the WORMS\DATA\CUSTOM\GFX directory.

On the level-selection screen, press Space and type the name of the level to play on - the same as the image file name (e.g. TEAM17.PCX becomes TEAM17). You can list all custom levels via Options → Load/Save Options → List Custom Files.

There are loads on this site - check the landscapes page - and the wider community wiki at worms2d.info links to many more. You can even make your own.

First read custom.txt, which explains most of what you need to know, then gfxcon.txt. You'll need the GFXCON.EXE program - it's on the Worms CD, or you can download it here.

Why do I get a black box around my level? If your level loads but has a solid black box around it and the worms sit at the top behind the KO bar, load the PCX into a paint package and swap colours 0 and 128 (two shades of purple) so the playing area is colour 128.

You'll need Reinforcements or Worms United. Place the SFX file into the WORMS\DATA\CUSTOM\SFX directory.

On the Team Entry screen, click the Sample selection - it cycles through all available sample banks. You can preview them under Worm Options → Audio → Sample Set → Test Effects. List all custom sound files via Worm Options → Load/Save Options → List Custom Files.

Read sampling.txt and samplist.txt (the list of all samples used in the game). You'll need the BANKEDIT.EXE program to build the SFX files - it's on the CD, or download it here.

Please note: all SFX files must be below 760 KB or the game won't use them.

Samples too fast or slow? For true-sounding samples they must be sampled at 15000 Hz.

Can't edit all of the sounds? The original BANKEDIT didn't contain every sample. A revised menu adds them: BANKEDIT.MNU - overwrite the existing version (back it up first; this file isn't endorsed by Team17).